All great artists have their influences and inspiration. Aretha Franklin, named very recently as the Greatest Singer of All Time by Rolling Stone magazine, is no exception. Comprising originals of songs made famous by the "Queen of Soul" during her first two decades as a recording artist, or in some cases the versions she grew up loving, the two-dozen R&B, soul and gospel recordings here, many of them performed by her favorite artists, helped influence and inspire Aretha to become the great singer she is.